Here’s the release from the St. Vrain and Lefthand Water Conservancy District:
May 8, 2024
LONGMONT, COLO – A St. Vrain trans-basin diversion, which has been a cornerstone of Colorado’s water rights history for over 140 years while simultaneously drawing environmental concern because of impacts to the South St. Vrain Creek, is making history again.
The South St. Vrain Diversion was at the center of the controversial 1882 Colorado Supreme Court water rights case Coffin v. Left Hand Ditch Company that set the precedent for water rights across the western United States for establishing the “first in time, first in right” doctrine. Now the diversion structure is the first in the St. Vrain basin to employ remote operations of the diversion.
A collaboration between the Left Hand Ditch Company, the Left Hand Water District and the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District authorized the installation of new technology last year that directs more precise stream flows and provides better monitoring and metering.
The ability to operate this diversion remotely through a mobile phone app enables rejuvenating flows into South St. Vrain Creek. The upcoming summer months may be among the first to see water flow down South St. Vrain Creek for the first time in over a century. Previously, operating this diversion required a three-hour drive from Niwot to above the Peak-to-Peak Highway when the mountain access point was accessible and then required manual operation of a century-old diversion wheel. In winter, the only option of reaching the diversion was often via snowshoes. The new diversion operations equipment is charged by solar and controlled by cellular data. Flows as low as 5 cubic feet per second (CFS) can make a big difference to the health of the stream.
The collaborative project came about when the Left Hand Ditch Company sought expertise and funding from the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District to implement the infrastructural advancements. Because it derives water supply from Left Hand Creek below the diversion and because it shares a similar interest in the health and the integrity of the watershed, the Left Hand Water District provided additional funding for a total of $24,000. This initiative signifies a shift in the relationship between historical water management practices and environmental values, which have sometimes been at odds. The project demonstrates Left Hand Ditch Company’s interest in enabling environmental flows and could set a precedent for collaborative conservation efforts in the future. As Terry Plummer, Superintendent of Left Hand Ditch Company, concluded, “We’ve got to grow and change with the times.”
“The collaboration between the three entities represents trust, partnership, and environmental dedication,” said Sean Cronin, Executive Director at the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District. “This project underscores our unwavering commitment to preserving Colorado’s waterways while ensuring sustainable agricultural practices.”
“As the primary water manager on Left Hand Creek, we use this water and want to contribute to its success,” said Christopher Smith, General Manager of Left Hand Water District.
For media inquiries, interviews, or further information, please contact Jenny McCarty at 303.772.4060 or jenny.mccarty@slvh.gov.
About the St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District
The St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District (“District” and “SVLHWCD”), created in 1971, is your trusted local government working to safeguard water resources for all. The District’s work is founded in the Water Plan five pillars: protect water quality and drinking water sources, safeguard and conserve water supplies, grow local food, store water for dry years, and maintain healthy rivers and creeks. Aligned with the Water Plan, the District is pleased to promote local partner water protection and management strategies through the Partner Funding Program.
As a local government, non-profit agency formed at the request of our community under state laws, the District serves Longmont and the surrounding land area or basin that drains into both the St. Vrain and Left Hand Creeks. Learn more at http://www.svlh.gov.
About the Left Hand Ditch Company
The Left Hand Ditch Company, based in Niwot, CO, was established in 1866 to irrigate 30K acres of land along Left Hand Creek. It is a unique ditch company in the west for many reasons, the first of which being that several individual ditches gave up their individual operations to come together and form the single ditch company to manage the entire Left Hand Creek system most efficiently.
Today, the Left Hand Ditch Company’s mission to manage and deliver water for all of its shareholders effectively is as strong as ever, and the Left Hand Ditch Company embraces new technology, like remote operation at the South St. Vrain Diversion, to accomplish this mission in modern times. Learn more at http://www.lefthandditchcompany.com.
About the Left Hand Water District
Left Hand Water District is a quasi-municipal corporation and a political subdivision of the State of Colorado, governed by Colorado Revised Statutes Title 32 Special Districts. The District has served customers in unincorporated areas of Boulder and Weld Counties since the early 1960’s. The Left Hand Water District’s service area is generally bounded by the City of Longmont on the north, the Cities of Boulder, Lafayette, and Erie on the south, I-25 on the east and the foothills on the west. Learn more at http://www.lefthandwater.gov.
